Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Josh laughed again and gripped my handlebars tighter, starting toward the restaurant. “Come inside. We’ll get you cleaned up.”
When I followed, my mom did too. Her palm came to the center of my back, lightly caressing. I loved that move. She was such a good mom.
“Are you all right?” she asked quietly. “Did you get hurt?”
“Probably only scratches and a bruised ego,” Josh teased from over his shoulder. “The bike seems good. The tire’s shot. Not sure I’ve seen such a perfectly executed tuck and roll before, except maybe in the movies.”
My mom kept the worry on her face as she gave me a critical up and down assessment. Since everything had gone wrong with my family, she poured herself into mothering me. And I let it happen, sometimes.
“I’m fine. I promise. Just hungry.”
Speaking of food had her tense features softening.
“You’re always hungry,” she said and gave me a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“My parents can barely keep me fed and they own a restaurant,” Josh said, leaving my bike in the small foyer between the parking lot and the dining room. “I’ll get the first-aid kit and meet you in the restroom. I’ll also tell my dad to go heavy on the buffet to feed us both in a timely manner.”
Great. I was into both ideas and started for the arrow sign pointing me to the bathroom.
“I’ll get a table,” my mom said. “Call me if you need me.”
We were on the same page. If my injuries took a bad turn, she was the first person to know.
My birthday dinner had gone from two people to three with Josh choosing to stick with me and Mom, instead of doing his own thing. I was having a pretty decent time, especially since I was on a winning streak in Ninja Assault, jumping up the leaderboard to third place.
“The town hall crowd’s gonna release soon. They always come here after a meetin’. It’s never good anymore,” Josh said quietly at the vintage pinball machine beside me.
“Yeah,” I said, distracted. “Sounds like it’s goin’ bad for them. All they have left is the picket—”
“No, dude,” Josh, making it hard to hear over all the death and destruction I was executing. “You’re not pickin’ up what I’m layin’ down.”
Those words bounced around my head as my fingers moved deftly over the game’s buttons.
Josh’s big hand clamped down hard on my shoulder, causing my hand to slip. My fiery death exploded on the screen. I reared back, looking at my score as the end game graphic flashed my fate. What the hell? Josh broke a top guy code rule. Don’t mess with each other while playing a video game. My disappointment barely stayed behind my lips as my stare slid to Josh.
“What?” I bit out, not able to keep all my frustration hidden. If Scott had done something like that to me, I might’ve actually tackled him to the ground. He’d never hear the end of it.
“There’s a party at the acres. You in?”
“The acres?” I asked. Josh said it like I should know the place. And parties? I really wasn’t that guy.
Did I have a curfew? Did my mom allow me to go to parties like that?
The excuses began to tumble from my lips. “I have to get my bike home then fix the tire.”
Josh laughed in my face and brought his hand back to my shoulder. This time with a little less force. “I got you covered. Come on.”
“Not tonight. I gotta change my clothes, clean some of this dirt off me. Maybe another time...”
Josh was already at least ten steps in front of me, heading to my mom sitting in one of the booths.
“Hey, Mrs. Brooks. We’re havin’ an end-of-year party tonight. Can Beau go with me?” Josh asked. If there was any way for me to catch my mother’s eye and shake my head no or even mouth the word, I would, but Josh’s booming voice and large frame blocked my mom from me. Josh’s mom sat across from her, the deep conversation they shared consumed her. She looked startled at the interruption.
“Ask me again,” my mom said. “I don’t think I heard that right. Beau going to a party?”
“Yeah, it’s supervised,” Josh added. Where my mom looked happy for me, Josh’s mom appeared more skeptical.
“It’s supervised, huh?” his mom asked.
“Yeah,” Josh answered as if a party could happen any other way. “I’ll have him home by eleven forty-five. I’ll be home by my midnight curfew.” He then dropped the bomb that took me by complete surprise. “You know, I gotta show our guy a good time so we can recruit him onto the team next season.”
Oh no. Not that. My shoulders dropped at the suggestion.
“Well, that sounds wonderful,” my mom said happily, sitting back in the booth seat, clearly relieved.